Planet Facts

Gliese 581c

Gliese 581c is a planet outside our solar system that orbits a star called Gliese 581. It is about 20 light-years away from us in the constellation Libra. Gliese 581c is called a super-Earth because it is about 5 times heavier than Earth and probably has a rocky surface. It is very close to its star, so one side might always face the star and be very hot, while the other side is always dark and cold. At first, some scientists thought it could have liquid water, but later they found out it is probably too hot, kind of like Venus. Even though it might not have life, Gliese 581c is still important because it helped scientists learn how to look for planets that could have life.